Abstract

AM CVn binaries are ultra-compact binaries consisting of a white dwarf
accreting mainly helium from a degenerate donor star. They are crucial
for determining the fate of the large number of double white dwarfs in
our galaxy and are a cornerstone for binary formation/evolution
paradigms. We have an XMM-Newton observations coming up of the prototype AM CVn
itself, and propose to obtain simultaneous optical spectroscopy with the
1.5m.